Join us to hear how the connections make or break a timber building. The products that are available, considerations needed and their application in large or small span and passive house buildings.

This evening’s event is the fourth in a series of webinars that will run alongside the Timber Development UK’s University Design Challenge to inform participants and the wider industry. They are recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel.

These webinars are open to students, graduates, professionals and the industry.

Timings

Timber Connections for System Performance

Thursday 27 Jan 18.30-20.00

18.30 – Setting the Scene: Robert Hairstans

18.35 – Overview of Connection Types: Andrew Livingstone, Edinburgh Napier

18.55 – Connecting Small Scale Timber Structures: Gavin Knowles, University of Bath

19.15 – Connecting Large Scale Timber Structures: Shingi Tarirah, Whitby Wood

19.35 – Connections in Passivhaus Design: Grigor Mitchell

19.55 - TDChallenge22 questions?

20.00 – Close

Meet our speakers

Professor Robert Hairstans

Robert has two roles. He is founding Director of New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT).

The CATT, which will showcase the practical uses of timber as a construction material, production methodology and design, is intended to be a beacon of sustainability which supports established local, national and international timber-based construction industries and provides opportunities for NMITE’s future graduates.

Robert is also head of the Centre for Offsite Construction + Innovative Structures (COCIS) within Edinburgh Napier University's Institute for Sustainable Construction, where he leads on research, innovation and knowledge exchange activities designed to deliver construction technologies for tomorrow's communities within a circular economy. His specialist expertise is in the fields of timber engineering and technology with a focus on adding value to the timber supply chain with an emphasis on engineered timber products and offsite (modular) construction.

Follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter

Dr Andrew Livingstone

Andrew is a lecturer and researcher at Edinburgh Napier University, within the Centre for Offsite Construction + Innovative Structures (COCIS), part of the Institute for Sustainable Construction (ISC).

With over 24 years of industry experience as a structural engineer and technical manager, for an offsite manufacturing specialist. His area of research is ‘BIM Enabled Mass Customised Structural Timber Engineering’, with a focus on Multi-dimensional data fitting for the structural design of timber connections.

Recent publications are included within: Advanced Engineering informatics; the World Conference on Timber Engineering; two for the Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe Conference; American Society of Civil Engineers Structural Engineers Congress; ECCM-ECFD and Compwood. He has also authored the Tekla Tedds timber connection to Eurocodes calculations.

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Shingi Tarirah

Shingi’s career to date has been dominated by intricate and bespoke structures in steel, reinforced concrete and timber. Her experience is international, having worked in Japan, Australia and France. Her interest in structural design includes the elegance and beauty in timber design and its role in modern construction, which is a focus in her current work at Whitby Wood.

Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram

Gavin Knowles

Gavin studied Civil Engineering at Oxford Brookes University and graduated in 2001. Since working in practice he gained his professional chartership with the Institution of Structural Engineers. He was an Associate with Bath-based engineering firm Integral Engineering Design and is now a full-time lecturer at the University of Bath. Gavin’s previous projects include many education and office buildings, along with conservation and refurbishment projects, interweaved with diverse structures, such as rammed chalk-walled houses, recycled material stages at WOMAD Festival and the odd sculpture.

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Grigor Mitchell

Grigor is an award-winning architect and certified Passivhaus designer specialising in small to medium sized projects for homeowners and commercial clients. Based in Edinburgh, he has a strong portfolio of work throughout Scotland, drawing on expertise both as a solo practitioner and in-house designer for practices including Allan Murray Architects, LDN Architects, EMA and Dyer. His approach is based on working closely with clients to develop robust and practical ecological solutions to their needs, particularly in the innovative reuse of existing structures. Grigor’s work is delivered with sensitivity to the wider public realm and urban environment, reflecting his time spent with major international practices, including Daniel Libeskind in Berlin. ARB registered and a member of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, Grigor Mitchell Architect provides a full professional service, from concept to site, under all main building contracts.

Grigor completed the certified course for PassivHaus designers in 2010 and uses the PassivHaus Planning Package (PHPP) on projects for which energy efficiency is a key deliverable, providing consultancy and assessment services in this area, as well as design. Committed to professional development for the benefit of our clients, we have developed skills in CDM co-ordination and have published guidance for clients in an Edinburgh-based journal.

He is an award winner and a founding member of the ‘Passiv Collective’. The Passiv Collective were the proud winners of the prestigious ‘UK Passivhaus Design Competition 2012′ for the Ravenscraig Innovation Park and were also awarded the prestigious ‘Commendation For Innovation’ on the site.

Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter

The Competition | Southside Hereford: University Design Challenge

This challenge is open to multidisciplinary teams of between 4-8 who are studying a Built Environment course at a UK university or who graduated in 2021. Register as an individual participant and either form your own team or we will help you to create and join a team. Details here.

“Hereford aspires to be one of the greenest and fairest cities in the country, with fantastic opportunities and quality of life for people of all ages. Deeply rooted in our unique rural heritage, we’re blossoming into a richly creative, digital, connected, and highly-skilled place to live, work study, invest, and visit.”

The stakeholders, your clients in this competition, have set out their requirements and needs for Southside Hereford which is to be a physical building to provide a vibrant, inspiring and inclusive sports, food and skills community focal point for the people of South Wye. Via the Stronger Towns Fund they have secured capital to build a community centre.

Participating teams must produce designs that sites the community centre within the local context and landscape, integrating the client's and community's interests.

The detailed designs must be ‘net zero’, creatively employing sustainable building materials and construction methods, and be energy and resource efficient, focusing on the health and well-being of people, the community, and our planet. Designed for longevity, adaptability, circularity and a warming climate and producing more energy than it requires, MMC and DfMA should be explored.

The main material focus and specification for the centre will be timber and timber hybrid systems. Your team's detailed design for the building will meet the Passivhaus Standard and exceed the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets and LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide metrics.

To aid our participants each team will be provided with software from our supporters – AECB CO2 Calculator, desighPH and PHPP from iPHA and Trimble SketchUp

Sponsors:

We would like to extend our thanks to our supporters and sponsors

Transforming Timber | PEFC UK | TDCA | Stora Enso | Passivhaus Homes | Accoya | Wood for Good | Rothoblaas | Ufi VocTech Trust

Timber Development UK is organising the University Challenge in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, New Model Institute of Technology and Engineering (NMITE), and the Passivhaus Trust.